1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a control method and a control program of the image forming apparatus, and more particularly to a power shutdown operation of the image forming apparatus during a roll setting operation.
2. Background Art
With advances in information technology, image processing apparatuses such as printers or facsimile machines for outputting digitized information and scanners for digitizing document information have become indispensible. Such image processing apparatuses have image capturing, image forming, and communications capabilities that enable them to function as printers, facsimile machines, scanners, copiers, or multi-functional apparatuses combining several of these capabilities known as multi-functional peripherals (MFP).
In the image processing apparatuses, various mechanisms are operated to output digitized image data, such as an image forming mechanism to form images, a transport mechanism to transport sheet used as a recording medium of image. To prevent malfunctions, control of the power source of the apparatus is conducted with various settings.
For example, one approach employs a configuration that, when a user conducts a power OFF operation of the apparatus (hereinafter, power-OFF operation) during an image outputting operation, the power is turned off after completing the in-progress image outputting operation to reduce power consumption and enhance usability.
To reduce power consumption and enhance usability, it is preferable that a time period to power off the apparatus after the user conducts the power-OFF operation (hereinafter, power-OFF period) is as short as possible. However, in actual use environment, certain processes may be conducted in the time period before the power source of the apparatus is actually turned off after instructing the power-OFF operation.
For example, in a case of an image forming apparatus using a as cylindrically rolled sheet of paper, etc. as an image recording medium, the roll is feed to the image forming mechanism. In this roll-sheet image forming apparatus, the roll is set for the image outputting operation as follows: When the sheet is set in the apparatus, the sheet is transported to the image forming mechanism that conducts the image outputting operation on the sheet, and then the sheet is set at a position ready for the image outputting operation, with which a roll preparation operation is conducted. The roll preparation operation is also referred to as a roll setting operation.
The roll setting operation includes various processes intended to set the roll at the correct position in the apparatus to conduct the image outputting operation correctly. The roll setting operation requires a given time period to complete once started. Consequently, if the above mentioned power-OFF operation is conducted while the roll setting operation is being conducted the above mentioned power-OFF period may not be short.